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Canucks: Staying healthy is Filip Chytil’s priority for 2026-27

Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

By Arielle Lalande

Aug 23, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 21, 2026, 18:47 EDT

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Filip Chytil has had a difficult time over the last few years, both before he joined the Vancouver Canucks and in the 18 months since. That is as factual as it gets.

The Czechia-born forward turns 27 in September, but his nine years of playing time in North America have been interrupted time and time again by injuries. Chytil has an alarming six concussions in his career thus far, two of which have occurred in the short time he’s been with Vancouver. Last October, he suffered a concussion against the Washington Capitals after a hit from Tom Wilson, which sidelined him until January. Then a few short weeks into his return, he was once again out of the lineup when he began suffering from migraines. Just as he was medically cleared and set to return after the Olympic break, he took a puck to the face in practice and suffered a facial fracture. Chytil hasn’t suited up for a game since February 2 of this year.

Chytil’s struggles have limited his consistent playing time over several seasons, making the sample size of his floor and ceiling rather small and somewhat skewed. This makes assessing his expected performance even more uncertain than his teammates’. The most games he’s played in a season are 75 in 2018-19, followed closely by 74 in 2022-23, and he only has 27 games with the Canucks under his belt. His central goal for the upcoming year at this point should be to simply stay healthy enough to be in the lineup.

Chytil’s 2025-26 campaign was a near write-off, so it will not take much for his 2026-27 season to be an improvement. Let’s dive into what his upcoming season might look like.

Meeting expectations: Stays healthy, in the lineup, puts up a 20-goal season

Chytil should reasonably be on pace for a 20-goal season range if he plays all 84 games, or even fewer if need be. In his last mostly intact season in 2025-25, Chytil had 13 goals and 26 points in 56 games between the New York Rangers and the Canucks.

When he first came to Vancouver in the J.T. Miller deal, it was expected he would fill the second-line centre role that Miller had occupied. Chytil’s skating speed and skills are his biggest assets, and while his ability to make plays has improved, his two-way game is unpredictable but will still be far more consistent than some of the less experienced players in the team’s centre pool. Vancouver has tried their hand at playing Chytil on the wing before, too. Still, it’s unlikely he’s moved away from centre again unless he can truly end up complementing another centre’s skillset.

If Chytil can stay healthy, keep his head up, especially through the neutral zone, and do his best to avoid bigger bodies and massive hits, he still has a decent chance of having an entirely normal season – something he and the team both deserve.

Exceeds expectations: Becomes a top centre with a breakout year

Never say never. If Chytil has a career year in terms of points production, which will also likely involve playing a full season and no injuries, it could do a lot to instill confidence in him and assuage fear about his injury history.

On a contending team, Chytil is comfortably a middle-six player, but on a rebuilding Canucks team, a sudden breakout year from a recuperating Chytil could propel him to top-six centre status guaranteed.

Surpassing his previous season-high of 22 goals and 23 assists in 2022-23 would put him in the 50+ point range, which would boost him into a different class. Even if it does not push the Canucks to consider re-signing him, an astounding performance this season certainly adds to his value in exchange for a neat package at the deadline, for example.

Below expectations: Re-injured

This hypothetical scenario is difficult to accept but necessary to consider. Yes, Chytil has been unlucky in the injury department. Still, lingering issues have made him more susceptible to further injury, and his well-publicized vulnerability can make him a target on the ice.

If Chytil experiences more precarious health issues, it will not only be disappointing, but could dictate what comes next for his career. Missing more significant time this season – say, 10 or more games – could damage his reputation as an injury risk to a level that will be difficult to come back from.

On paper, a former first-round pick with a profile and skill set like Chytil should not be considered a high liability risk. Unfortunately, his circumstances have not been so lucky. The argument that Chytil is only 26 and still has time to find his game and have a prime career stretch has an equal but opposing argument:

Chytil is only 26, and the risk of continued injuries, especially to his head, should not threaten his long-term health far after his hockey career has concluded. This season could be Chytil’s last chance in several ways; at the very least, this season is Chytil’s opportunity to make his case to the Canucks. Chytil’s four-year deal initially signed by the Rangers expires next summer, so he has until the trade deadline to either make his case to stay or, most likely, increase his value as a trade piece. That is, if he can stay healthy.

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